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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is reportedly pushing for a change in the U.S. law related to wiretapping. If passed, the changes would allow government monitoring of Facebook, Skype, and some email services. The idea is to change the ... Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), which currently doesn't give investigators the right to monitor and intercept communications. Instead, the law forces telecommunications providers to set up their services in a way that makes such monitoring and intercepting technologically possible. Email, VoIP, Social Media to be Monitored? ... (view more)

These days there are fewer and fewer people who say they don't regularly use the world wide web. According to a new report from Pew, which frequently studies the evolving relationship between people and technology, in 1995 about one in ten adult ... Americans used the web. Today, the ratio is closer to 4 in 5. (Source: eweek.com ) Nevertheless, nearly everyone knows someone, somewhere, who outright refuses to go online. The new study reveals that a large chunk of those 'no-Net' people stay away because they simply have no interest in using the Internet. Bored With Online Technology According to ... (view more)

A new service from Google reportedly will offer users 5 gigabytes (GB) of online storage at no cost. Called 'Google Drive,' it appears the service will launch within the next few days. Google Drive is a 'cloud storage service,' which is a short-hand ... description for the capability of saving information online and accessing it again from any Internet-connected computer. Such online storage capability can provide a valuable backup option, particularly when you consider that most computer systems will experience a hard drive crash or have their device stolen at some point. Without some form of ... (view more)

Iran's government has dismissed reports that it intends to block all Internet access for its citizens, starting in August. Spokespeople claim the shutdown reports stem from an April Fool's joke. Yet at least one part of the story appears to be true. ... The allegations of a coming shutdown are made by Reporters Without Borders, an international media and free speech advocacy group that in recent years has turned its attention to online censorship. Intranet Could Replace Internet According to Reporters Without Borders, Iran plans to simply cut all public access to the global Internet for its ... (view more)

If you're a long-time Internet user, you may remember NetZero, one of the first free Internet providers. Now the company is making a comeback bid by offering free wireless access. However, there's a catch. NetZero launched in 1998 offering free ... dial-up access, but making users view advertising in a display window they could not close. The idea was that advertisers would support the company by paying for ads in that window. (Source: cnet.com ) The system soon caught on and helped bring hundreds of thousands of new users to the web. Eventually, though, a collapse in online advertising rates ... (view more)

Regarding our vote on February 15, 2012 -- I have read approximately 1,000 comments from readers, along with their ballots. I will provide insight with regard to the findings, as well as address some issues. This post is approximately 1,500 words. I ... realize some of you won't want to read all of it and just want the results. So, I would like to begin by saying this: According to the results of the vote, I am pleased to announce that Infopackets will remain online. Moving forward: all users will retain access to everything that they have now and well into the future. This includes free access ... (view more)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the most respected universities in the world, is planning to launch a course that can be taken entirely over the Internet. It's not enough for a degree in itself, but those who pass will earn a ... certificate. The course will be a prototype for online learning at the university. This is the first time such a high-profile institution has offered a course that yields a passing or failing grade, rather than one where students simply access the information and receive a virtual "attendance" certificate. Existing Course Makes Electronic Leap ... (view more)

February 15, 2012 Major Announcement from: Dennis Faas, CEO, Chief Editor and owner of Infopackets.com Dear Infopackets Readers, After 10 years of publishing online and having produced over 8,000 original articles, Infopackets may be forced to close ... its doors due to lack of funding. The site may shut down as early as June 1st, 2012. I do, however, have a plan to save this website and make it ten times better than it was before -- but, it requires an extraordinary amount of effort, as well as consensus from our readers. Note: The article below describes our situation in detail. Please read it ... (view more)

Microsoft has released a customized edition of its popular Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) web browser, this one intended for use by children. In addition to adding links to online safety sites, the new version includes content protection that is switched ... on, by default. The new children's edition of IE9 has been developed with the help of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), a British organization that includes police officers, government officials and representatives from some major tech firms, including Microsoft. Bookmarks, Tabs Bring Safety to Forefront The updated ... (view more)

Google has unveiled a major overhaul of its online user tracking system, claiming to make its services more useful. However, critics fear the changes, set for March 1, 2012, will allow for more effective snooping of user data and online activities. ... The changes center around the way the company keeps track of activity data, and the way it's then used. Google Pools Online Tracking to 'Improve' Advertising, Search Under the old system, someone who receives a lot of emails about football will see advertisements for football. Someone who watches a lot of comedy clips on YouTube will see lots of ... (view more)